


R(ather) A(ttractive) C(onsultant)

by fortytworedvines



Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F, First Meeting, Fluff, Strangers to Lovers, car breakdown fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:48:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22654255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortytworedvines/pseuds/fortytworedvines
Summary: Bernie's car tire chooses a fortuitous place to explode. The RAC is rubbish but Bernie's new acquaintance is not.
Relationships: Serena Campbell/Bernie Wolfe
Comments: 26
Kudos: 111
Collections: Berena Alphabet





	R(ather) A(ttractive) C(onsultant)

“Oh _great_ ,” Bernie muttered to herself as she surveyed the tattered rubber that had recently been a functioning tire. She’d felt the bang as it had shredded and fought the car off the a-road onto a very handy little gravel lane. She was supposed to be at Charlotte's in two hours and the drive was an hour and half. If she could only get this sorted quickly she’d still make it.

It was as she hefted the spare tire out of the boot that she realised she might be in for more trouble. She knew how to change a tire. No problem at all. Or it hadn’t been, until she’d been blown up and got herself a dodgy spine and a back that was prone to seizing. She dropped the tire and sighed. Well, there was a reason she paid an ungodly amount of money every year to the RAC wasn’t there? She dug out her phone and membership card and made the call.

“And where are you?” the chirpy sounding person at the other end of the phone asked.

“I can give you latitude and longitude.”

“What about a postcode?”

_I’m in the middle of nowhere!_ Bernie wanted to shout. She looked around as if the empty countryside might provide a clue, and spotted a gate at the end of the lane. Maybe there was a house there. Couldn’t hurt to try. “Hang on,” she said to the annoying phone operator, “I’ll see if I can find out.”

Her luck rose as a woman appeared at the gate. “Broken down?” she asked.

Bernie nodded, “Do you have a postcode?”

The woman rattled it off and Bernie repeated it to the phone operator.

“Oh, there are long delays in your area,” the operator said, with not a hint of regret, “The team will call you when they’re twenty minutes away. Bye!”

“But!” Bernie protested, but the operator had hung up. Bernie glared at her phone to relieve her feelings, then tucked it away and eyed the woman who was hovering with a sympathetic smile on her face.

“I’ve been waiting for a delivery, spotted you were in trouble. What’s happened?”

“My tire’s gone,” Bernie said, noticing suddenly that the woman was very attractive, all sparkling eyes and brown hair. She tucked her hands in her pockets awkwardly. “I’m on my way to visit my daughter. Haven’t seen her in ages, just my luck.”

“You look like you could do with a cup of coffee,” the other woman said decisively, “Come on, come in and I’ll sort you out.”

“But-”

“No, no arguing. Come on.” 

Bernie followed her meekly through the open gate, across her front garden and into the house.

“I’m Serena, by the way,” she said as she filled the kettle up and put it on.

“Bernie,” Bernie offered, hovering awkwardly by the door.

“Sit down, do,” Serena said, “And here, have a croissant.” She passed a plate over to Bernie. “How do you like your coffee?”

“Strong and hot is what I need today,” Bernie said with a wry smile, and Serena laughed. “I seem to have fallen on my feet,” she added, and her spirits rose a little as she nibbled the croissant. “Couldn’t have chosen a better place to break down.”

“You have been lucky,” Serena agreed, slipping into a chair opposite, “It’s three miles to the village, I’m the only person who lives out this way. So,” she said, and her eyes twinkled, “Tell me about your daughter.”

And Bernie talked. Filled with croissant and hands wrapped around a warm mug of  coffee , she found herself telling this kind, inquisitive, attractive stranger her tale of years in the army, divorce, estrangement from her children and just why this invitation from Charlotte was such a big deal.

“It feels like this is the first time in years she’s actively wanted to see me,” she finished.

Serena nodded. “I know the feeling. My daughter is much the same,  only seems to turn up when she  needs money.”

“What brought you out here?” Bernie asked curiously, “If you don’t mind me saying, you don’t seem the type to live in the middle of the countryside alone.”

Serena laughed. “You’re very perceptive. I moved out here to care for my mother; she was happiest in the countryside. She died a few years ago. I do locum work at the hospitals around here but I’ve been thinking its about time I moved back to a city and got a permanent post somewhere.

“So we’re both doctors,” Bernie murmured, “What a coincidence.”

“Isn’t it! Now, what about another cup of coffee?”

As Serena filled the kettle again, Bernie’s phone rang. “Three hours?” she said, disbelieving, in response to the operator. “Well, thank you.”

“I take it that wasn’t great news,” Serena said as she put two fresh mugs down.

Bernie groaned. “It’s going to take them three hours to get here. There goes my evening with Charlotte. If it wasn’t for my stupid back I could do it myself in half an hour and be on my way.”

Serena hummed thoughtfully. “I’ve never changed a tire myself, but if you talk me through it I could probably have a decent go.”

“I – I couldn’t possibly ask you to do that,” Bernie gasped.

“You’re not asking, I’m offering. Get that coffee down you and we’ll go and get it sorted.”

Half an hour later, the spare tire was safely on and Serena was wiping her hands on a rag with a satisfied smile. “Well, it’s always good to learn something new. We make a good team, don’t you think?”

One arched eyebrow raised and Bernie gulped down the flutter in her stomach. “We do,” she agreed. “I can’t thank you enough.”

“No need. Now, go on with you, and have a fantastic evening.”

* * *

“When you said you’d broken down I was sure you weren’t going to make it,” Charlotte said as she passed Bernie a whiskey and curled up comfortably on the sofa next to her.

Bernie hummed with  quiet  happiness. “ It would have taken more than an exploding tire to stop me getting here.” She risked putting an arm around her daughter, thrilled when Charlotte leant in and rested her head against Bernie’s shoulder. “I was lucky though, it happened in just the right spot and a kind lady helped me out.” Bernie was silent for a moment as she remembered Serena. Now, with the safety of distance, she let herself dwell on those sparkling brown eyes, the bubbling laughter and the way that Bernie had struggled to keep her eyes off her as she wrestled with the tire, heedless of the muck.

Charlotte looked up at her mother and nodded knowingly. “Was she pretty, mum?”

Bernie coughed. “Does it make any difference if she was pretty or not?”

“It does when you look like that. Are you going to see her again?”

Bernie sipped her whiskey. “I’m not planning to have another tire explode on the way back, no.”

Charlotte elbowed her. “You know what I mean. Did you get her number? Oh  _mum_ ,” she said with exasperation when Bernie shook her head, “You’re hopeless. Well, you should stop off  on the way back and thank her for helping you. It would only be polite.”

“I couldn’t do that,” Bernie protested. “Could I?”

“Why not?” Charlotte said, and Bernie subsided. Maybe it would be a good idea. She had been _very_ pretty, after all.

* * *

Bernie’s stomach fluttered with nerves as she pulled into the little lane leading to Serena’s house. This was a terrible idea. Why had she ever listened to Charlotte? Serena probably wouldn’t be in, anyway.

She climbed slowly out of her car, clutching the flowers and chocolates she’d picked up as a thank you. Not from a service station either, but from the fancy florist round the corner from Charlotte’s (Charlotte had insisted). She hadn’t even made it to the front door when it swung open and there was Serena, smiling broadly.

“Bernie! What a wonderful surprise! Come on in.”

“I, um. I brought you these,” Bernie thrust the presents at Serena, “To say thank you.”

“How kind of you. You didn’t have to. Coffee?” Bernie followed Serena into the house, watched as she arranged the flowers in a vase and put the kettle on. “Strong and hot, wasn’t it?” she asked with a laugh.

“You remembered.”

“It’s only been a day. And you’re a hard woman to forget, Bernie.” The glance that Serena shot her was full of heat, her words tinged with desire, and Bernie shivered.

“So are you.” Bernie edged a little closer. “I came back, because… um… I was wondering if I could have your number,” she said, very quickly.

Serena put the jar of coffee down with a thud and turned to face her. “I could have kicked myself when you left yesterday and I didn’t have yours.” She reached out, grasped the lapel of Bernie’s jacket and tugged her closer. Bernie moved willingly, heart pounding. “ You know, coffee’s not the only thing I like strong and hot.”

Despite the butterflies in her stomach, Bernie grinned. “Is that a line, Serena?”

“Did it work?” One delicate eyebrow arched and Bernie’s hands found Serena’s waist.

“It did.”

Serena’s lips were just as soft as they had been in Bernie’s dream last night.

The kettle clicked off and Serena drew back a little and laughed. “So, coffee, and then maybe a date?”

Now she knew what kissing Serena was like Bernie didn’t want to stop, pressed Serena gently back against the counter so that their bodies were flush against each other. “Kissing, then coffee?”

Serena grinned and wound her arms wound around Bernie’s neck. “An excellent plan.”


End file.
